Vehicle body support



Jul 14, 1925.-

G. M. EATON VEHICLE BODY SUPPORT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 24 1921 INVENTOR e/itbtolz ATTORNEY mw NN July 14, 1925.

- G. M. EATON VEHICLE BODY surron'r Filed May 24, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l as l s4.

INVE-NTOR WITNESSES:

v 8 BY '4 m r 31 4] TTORNEY Patented July 14, 1925.

UNITED [STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE M. nron, or rrr'rsia'unen, 1?E1 TNSYLVAl TIA,.AiSSIG1\TOR '10 wns'rmenonsn 1 ntnc'raic & manurncrwnme COMPANY, A oonroea'rron onrnnnsnvanm.

VEHICLE. BODY SUPPORT.

Application gnea May 24, 1921. Serial No. 472,117. a

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, GnonGnM. EATON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsburgh, 1111116 county of Allegheny and Stateof Pennsylvania, have. invented a new anduseful Improvement in Vehicle Body Supports, oi-which the 'foh lowing is a specification. a Myinvention relates to supports for vehicle bodies and more particularly to-ineans whereby vehicle bodies are supported upon their runningigears. i u

My invention isparticularly LLQ JliCiiblB to a locomotive of that form wherein the body is pivoted to the truck frame in such manner as to permit relative movement therebetween, in a horizontal plane, and is designed to eliminate the friction that-ordinarily takes place between the opposing bearing faces of the truck and the cab when the locomotive is rounding a curve.

Another object. of my inventionis to sine pli'fy and improve generally-the mounting of a cab uponits trucks, toeli'e-ctually tribute the weight thereof on thetruchis and to provide an improved form of spring support for the cab body. In cases wherethe cab body is ivotally supported on a truck, the pivot is located intermediate the ends of the cab body. Usually, the desired weight distribution at the rail necessitates the employment of bearing faces between the cab and the truck at points adjacent to the ends of the trucks. These bearing faces are composed offlat plates, but, owing to theexcessiveainount of friction. that takes place between the o pposing plates, when relative movement occurs between the cab and the truck at curves in the track, the truck cannot rotate freely enough around the center pin to properly. adjust itself to such curves. This conchtion has resulted in excessive wear between My invention overcomes the above noted objection to the previous forms of construction, by providing anti-friction bearings located between the cab body and the truck at points adjaeentto theen'dsoi the cab.

As shown in the accompanying drawings; I Figure 1 is a view, partiallyin top plan and partially in section, of a portion of a locomotive embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 isa View, partially in end elevation and partially in section, of one of the supporting members forthecab body."

Fig. 3 is a similar view of another of left of Fig. 1. I a Figsl and 5 are plan views of the devices of Figs. 2 and 3, respectively. r

Fig. dis a view, partially in end elevation and partially in section, of a modified the supporting members, lookinglronr the form of support for the cab and --;Figs.-7 and 8 are plan andend elevational views, respect vely, of the device of Fig. 6. In 'FlgJ 1 l have shown one end of a cab body 9 supportedby atruck frame 10. The

other end of the cab body 9-1nay be provided with a truck identical in construction with that which will now be described.

The cab body 9 is connected to the truck bolster 11 by the usual center pin 12 to permitof rotative movement by the truck in a horizontal plane;

In order to distribute the weight of the body upon the truck, bearings 14, 15 and 16 are provided. The bearings .15 and 16, which are mounted upon the front end of the truck, are provided with seating blocks and spring housing members '17 and 18, respectively, that support compression springs 19; Bearings-wand 16 are also provided with plunger guides 20 that serve to maintain the springs 19 against lateral displacement, The brackets 22 are supported on the upper ends of the springs 19 and are each-providfld with rollers23.

The'under side of the cab body is provided-with bearing plates 25 that lie directly above the rollers 23 and 28.

The bearing 14 at the other end of the truck frameflO is of substantially thesanie construction as are the bearings 15and 16, it being provided with springs '26, brackets 27androllers28.

If desired, the weight of the cab. body 9 may be borne entirely by the bearings 1.4,

15 and 16 and, as above explained, truck .frames provided with the form of bearlngs just described may be applied adjacent to each end of the locomotive, or, 1n cases where more than two trucks are employed, each truck may be provided with a threepoint yielding supporting structure for the cab body. I

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that when the locomotive enters a curve in-the track, the rol-ler bearings' perin Fig. 1, to adjust itself to the curve.

It will be further apparent that the threepoint support permits the truck to adapt itself to irregularities inthe track without materially affecting the distribution of the weight thereupon. Y

Referringnowwto- Figs. 6,, 7 and 8, arcab body 30 may; be supported .npon each truck by one or more sets of semi-elliptical springs 31, there beingfour of-such springs .ineach set, in the construction here; illustrated.

- The body 30 is supported from the-upper pair of springs 31 by means of four':hang- BPS 32 that have .their upper ends. connected by cross bars 33.

. The upper springs aresecured to blocks 35thatrest upon aiblock"3 6- which .is,win turn, supported by blocks 37 that 1 are-car.- ried by the lower springs. 'Theblocks36 serves to tie theblocks -35 and. the blocks-37 together and to thus maintain the springs 31 in proper alignment: Links 38 are each secured, at one end, to theblock 36: and, at the. other end, to sill members 39.of the cab body 30. The. links 38- serve to bracethe springsagainst endthrusts that occur when there is relative horizontal.movement.-between the truck frame and the cab body.

The lower springs 31 rest upon ancradle 41 that is supported,- through its upstanding portions 42 and pivots 43, upon qsegmental toothed. rollers 44. Theteeth of the rollers 44 extend'through .the bottom of the cradle 41 and mesh with teethon a rack 45 that is supported upon a truck frame-.46.. y means of the construction just; de-' scribed, the truck frame 46- is permitted to move readily with respect to :the cabbody' 30, in a horizontal plane,-as in the construc tion illustrated, in Figs. 1: to 5, inclusive.

. From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that I have provided ajconstruction wherein the truck may move readily with respect to the cab body', both in vertical and horizontal:v planes, [and that sub-- stantially uniformdistribution of weight is, maintained.throughout such movements.

It will be apparent that variousmodifica-- tions in detail and generalarrangement may be made without departing fromthe spirit of the invention, as defined in the-accom-' panying claims.

I claim as-my invention:

1. A Vehicle-bod supporting structure comprising a true: frame, anti-friction bearings interposed between the body and the truck frame and a yielding element beneath each of the anti-friction bearings, two of the bearings being located adjacent toone endkof: the truck frame and a third bearing being located adjacent to the other end of the truck frame.

' 2. A supportingstructure for a vehicle bodycomprising a truck frame, anti-fricmit the truck to swing freely, as illustrated.

tion-bearings interposed between the body and'the truck frame adjacent to each end of tl1e.-saidr;frame,.=and a yielding element for supporting each anti-friction bearing."

3. A vehicle-bodyesupporting structure comprising, rin combination, a truck frame that is movable horizontally jzwiith respect to the .body, a=pair of laterallyz'spaced yielding members .iIItGIYPOSBd'ibGtWGQH the- -body-- and the'rtrucki frame adj acentito one end 0f the truokaframe: and a yielding element interposed between the bodyian'd the truck frame adj acentvto the longitudinal center line of .the truck. frame 'iatitheother end "of such frame.

4. A vehicle-bodysup-porting structure comprising, in. combination, a truck frame, a pair of laterally; spaced yielding members interposed between. the bodyiandthe truck frame, adjacent totonezend of thetruck frame, a yieldingielement: interposed be tween the body and the 'truck frame, the other end "of the :latter, and anti friction 1lonembers supported by the yielding anemers. 5.--A supporting: struicture'ifor a vehicle body c0mprising,: ;in combination, a truck frame, a. pivotal connection between "the body: and the: truokaframe adjacent tothe middle ofv the frame'iandl'antiefriction bearings interposed betweenithe body and the truckvframe at -points 'adjacenti to the ends of the'wsaid frame. w 6i-Infcombir1ation,nin awvehicle, a body member, a-truck membelg'yielding support ing elements: carried by one iofasaidi members and: anti-frictionr-bearings: interposed between theotherone oftsaid members i and,

the yielding elements adjacentto. the ends of the truckmembeni 7. In combinationgin: aivehicle, a body member, a: truck-m'ember, means' for limitingrelative 1 horizontal movements between the body member and the truclr niem'ber, yielding supporting elements carried by one of said members,-at points adjacent to the. ends of the truck member, and anti-friction bearings interposedbetween itheother. one of said members and the yieldingelements.

, i 8.--Incombination -in. a vehicle, a body member, a'truck member, yielding supporting elements-interposed. between the said members; at points adjacent to the: ends of the truck member, and anti-friction elements interposed between one of said members and the yielding elements.

9. In combination, in a vehicle, a body member, a truck member, yielding elements interposed between the said members adjacent to one end of the truck member and anti-friction bearings interposed between said members adjacent to the other end of the truck member, the truck and body membersbeing pivotally connected for relative 10 jmovement horizontally.

GEORGE M. EATON. 

